Chromatography Forum

Anyone have any recommendations using a HP5890/5971MSD versus a Shimadzu GC17A-QP5000 MS (IG50)? Cost are comparable and I believe both are quadrupole detectors.

The GC will primarily be used for food aroma analysis (ie. headspace, SPME, etc).

Just looking for anyone's feedback on ease of use, reliability, ease of getting parts, etc. Any feedback would be great, thanks.

We had the first HP5890/5971MSD in the state. That was over 25 years ago, had to learn how to work a mouse for it, had Windows 386 on it, and we later updated that to Windows 3.1

This was a great GCMS system. However both GC and the MSD are way out of support, even if they were both reliable back then. I doubt that many parts are still available.

Shimadzu one is a great instrument for its time. They use one-of-a-kind interface boards that are next to impossible to acquire and/or set up correctly on your own.

On the other hand, HP one is perhaps the most mass produced. If you have the right soft Ebay would never dry out of them so it seems.